Ōzutsu Takeshi

巨砲丈士
Ōzutsu Takeshi
Personal information
Born Takakoshi Matsumoto
April 18, 1956 (1956-04-18) (age 55)
Mie, Japan
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight 147 kg (320 lb)
Career
Heya Taiho
Record 753-809-18
Debut May, 1971
Highest rank Sekiwake (May, 1981)
Retired May, 1992
Yūshō 1 (Jūryō)
Sanshō Outstanding Performance (2)
Fighting Spirit (1)
Technique (1)
Kinboshi 10 (Wakanohana (4), Chiyonofuji (2),
Wajima (1), Kitanoumi (1)
Mienoumi (1), Takanosato (1))
* Career information is correct as of August 2009.

Ōzutsu Takeshi (born 18 April 1956 as Takakoshi Matsumoto) is a former sumo wrestler from Mie, Japan. Beginning his professional career in May 1971, he was ranked in the top makuuchi division continuously from March 1979 to January 1992, and his record of 1170 consecutive bouts there is the second best in history after Takamiyama. His highest rank was sekiwake. He was runner-up in one tournament and earned ten kinboshi or gold stars for defeating yokozuna. He also won four sansho or special prizes. He wrestled for Taiho stable and after his retirement in May 1992 he worked there as a coach before leaving the Japan Sumo Association in 2008.

Contents

Career

Born in Yokkaichi, he joined Nishonoseki stable in May 1971 at the age of 15. The great yokozuna Taiho retired in the same tournament and that December he followed Taiho to a newly created heya, Taiho stable. In his early days he wrestled under a different shikona, Daishin. In July 1977 he became a sekitori for the first time upon promotion to the jūryō division. He was injured during the November 1977 tournament and had to withdraw, dropping back to makushita. However, he was never to miss another bout in his career. Upon his return to jūryō in March 1978 he adopted the shikona of Ozutsu (literally "big cannon"; he was sometimes nicknamed "Top Gun"). In September 1978 he claimed the jūryō championship with an 11-4 record (his only career yusho), and in January 1979, after losing a playoff for the championship to Oshio he was promoted to the top makuuchi division for the March 1979 tournament.

Ozutsu won the Fighting Spirit Prize in his second top division tournament in May 1979, and in July he defeated two yokozuna, Wakanohana and Mienoumi, the first of his ten career kinboshi. In March 1980 he made his sanyaku debut at komusubi but fell short with a 6-9 record. He was runner-up to Kitanoumi with an 11-4 record in March 1981 and was promoted to sekiwake, the highest rank he was to achieve. He held it on two further occasions, in July 1981 and November 1983, and made his final appearance in sanyaku at komusubi in November 1984, continuing as a rank-and-file maegashira for the rest of his makuuchi career.

He won his first two bouts against Chiyonofuji before the latter became a yokozuna, and earned two kinboshi from him in September 1984 and March 1986, but was defeated by him on every one of the 37 other occasions they met. He was the man Chiyonofuji beat in September 1989 to reach 965 career wins, more than any other wrestler in history.[1]

He remained in the top division for 78 consecutive tournaments but was finally demoted in January 1992 after recording only a 4-11 score at maegashira 15. His 1170th and final bout in makuuchi was a win over Mainoumi. He announced his retirement from sumo two tournaments later at the age of 36 after facing certain demotion to the makushita division.

Retirement from sumo

Ozutsu remained in sumo as an elder of the Japan Sumo Association, and worked as a coach at Taiho stable, initially under the name Otake Oyakata. In 1997 he switched to the Tateyama kabu when it was vacated by the former ozeki Daiju. In 2003 Taiho retired as head coach and the former Takatoriki took over, renaming the heya Otake stable. Ozutsu continued to work as a coach there until 2008 when his Tateyama stock, which he was only borrowing, was needed by the retiring Tamakasuga. Ozutsu had to leave the Sumo Association as a result. He now runs a French-style restaurant in Yokohama.

Fighting style

Ozutsu was a yotsu-sumo wrestler, preferring to fight on the mawashi rather than push his opponents. His favourite grip was migi-yotsu, with a right hand inside and left hand outside his opponent's arms. His most common winning kimarite was yori-kiri or force out, but he also regularly used his outside grip to win by uwatenage (overarm throw) and uwatedashinage (pulling overarm throw). He was also fond of tsuridashi, the lift out.[2]

Top division record

Ōzutsu Takeshi[3]
year in sumo January
Hatsu basho, Tokyo		 March
Haru basho, Osaka		 May
Natsu basho, Tokyo		 July
Nagoya basho, Nagoya		 September
Aki basho, Tokyo		 November
Kyūshū basho, Fukuoka
1979 x West Maegashira #13
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #9
10–5
F		 West Maegashira #1
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #5
5–10
★★		 East Maegashira #10
8–7
 
1980 West Maegashira #5
9–6
 		 East Komusubi
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #3
5–10
★		 West Maegashira #6
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #1
5–10
★		 West Maegashira #4
8–7
 
1981 East Maegashira #1
8–7
 		 East Komusubi
11–4
T		 East Sekiwake
8–7
 		 West Sekiwake
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #2
9–6
O★		 West Komusubi
7–8
 
1982 West Maegashira #1
8–7
★		 West Komusubi
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #4
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #5
6–9
★		 West Maegashira #8
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #4
6–9
 
1983 East Maegashira #7
9–6
 		 West Komusubi
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #2
8–7
 		 East Komusubi
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #4
9–6
O		 East Sekiwake
4–11
 
1984 East Maegashira #6
9–6
 		 East Maegashira #1
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #5
8–7
 		 East Komusubi
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #1
8–7
★★		 East Komusubi
5–10
 
1985 East Maegashira #2
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #7
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #3
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #8
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #1
5–10
 		 West Maegashira #8
3–9–6
 
1986 East Maegashira #2
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #4
6–9
★		 West Maegashira #9
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #3
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #6
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #8
8–7
 
1987 East Maegashira #3
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #10
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #3
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #8
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #2
4–11
 		 East Maegashira #8
8–7
 
1988 East Maegashira #2
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #6
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #8
7–8
 		 East Maegashira #10
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #5
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #10
8–7
 
1989 West Maegashira #5
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #2
4–11
 		 West Maegashira #8
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #4
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #2
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #7
8–7
 
1990 West Maegashira #1
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #4
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #8
9–6
 		 West Maegashira #2
5–10
 		 East Maegashira #8
8–7
 		 East Maegashira #2
4–11
 
1991 West Maegashira #10
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #5
6–9
 		 East Maegashira #12
7–8
 		 West Maegashira #14
8–7
 		 West Maegashira #10
6–9
 		 West Maegashira #13
7–8
 
1992 East Maegashira #15
4–11
 		 (Juryo) East Jūryō #7
Retired
4–11–0		 x x x
Record given as win-loss-absent    Top Division Champion Retired Lower Divisions

Sanshō key: F=Fighting spirit; O=Outstanding performance; T=Technique     Also shown: ★=Kinboshi(s) P=Playoff(s)
Divisions: Makuuchi — Jūryō — Makushita — Sandanme — Jonidan — Jonokuchi

Makuuchi ranks: Yokozuna — Ōzeki — Sekiwake — Komusubi — Maegashira

See also

References

  1. ^ Hiatt, Fred (23 September 1989). "965 Wins for Supreme Sumo Wrestler;34-Year-Old Japanese Superstar Pins the Record for Success". The Washington Post. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1213412.html. Retrieved 19 August 2009. 
  2. ^ "Ozutsu bouts by kimarite". Sumo Reference. http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi_kim.aspx?r=1338. Retrieved 19 August 2009. 
  3. ^ "Ozutsu Takeshi Rikishi Rikishi Information". Sumo Reference. http://sumodb.sumogames.com/Rikishi.aspx?r=1338. Retrieved 19 August 2009. 

External links